Chapter Fifty-Two: The Heart of the Sovereign

Gansui, the headmaster, and Mr. Chuan prepared to enter the study, leaving Banxia and Anzi outside.

“I believe Anzi has the right to know everything,” Gansui said.

The headmaster and Mr. Chuan exchanged a glance. “Then let him come in as well.”

Anzi looked aggrieved and asked Gansui, “Will brother-in-law send Anzi away?”

“Of course not. Brother-in-law likes Anzi very much, doesn’t he?” Gansui earnestly assured Anzi, “If there ever comes a day when you have to leave, we’ll ask you first and never just send you away. Do you believe brother-in-law?”

“I believe you.”

“Good, pinky swear. A hundred years without change, whoever breaks it is a puppy.” The two locked their pinkies.

“No more tears, all right? This is brother-in-law’s master’s first visit. If he sees you crying the first time he comes, that won’t look good. Later, I’ll make your favorite Four Joy Meatballs, how about that?”

“Okay! I’ll help you wash the vegetables.”

Once everyone was seated, Banxia, a little anxious, asked, “Master, what is going on with that child’s family?”

“The child’s father and mother were childhood sweethearts, and married when they grew up. One year, the man’s family suffered a great calamity. At that time, someone claimed they could help him through the crisis, but on the condition that he marry her daughter.”

“But he was already married.”

“Indeed. So the person only asked that her daughter be given to him as a favored concubine… The man’s household was complex, and under pressure from all sides…”

“He agreed,” Banxia said.

“Yes. She was only a favored concubine, which should not have meant much. But she came from a powerful family, and her arrival changed everything. At the same time, the child’s mother was pregnant, and her health was poor—she couldn’t exert herself. The authority in the house was slowly devoured. The father was overwhelmed, and when he finally had a moment, his wife was in labor. Childbirth is a matter of life and death, and she did not survive the bleeding. The man watched his wife die and was so heartbroken that he was bedridden for months. The family desperately sought famous doctors, and eventually, a wandering hermit arrived, declaring the child was born under a hard star and would bring misfortune to his kin. After much discussion, they decided to send the child to a monastery. And wouldn’t you know, the moment the child left the house, the father’s illness improved day by day, and he was cured in less than half a month. The child was at the monastery for half a year, and when the father decided to visit him, the day before his arrival, the monks mishandled fire and set the place ablaze. The child disappeared without a trace…”

“So now, what does he want? To take the child back on the strength of a sliver of blood tie?”

“The man also has his troubles,” Mr. Chuan sighed.

“No matter how great the difficulties, protecting one’s wife and child is the duty of any man. I can’t believe there’s not a shred of deceit in all these so-called accidents.”

“There is, in fact. The man has discovered that both his wife’s death and the fire at the monastery were connected to that favored concubine.”

“So, did he avenge them?”

“That family’s power is formidable, and he dared not act rashly, at least for now.”

“Then what’s the point of helping him find the child? Is it because the child survived once, so you want him to die a second time? Do you know when that child first came to us, he was so thin he was skin and bones, his head crawling with lice, his body covered in wounds? He’s only five, and in this past year, I’ve poured my heart into him, raising him into the plump, cheerful boy he is now. I dare say I have cared for Anzi no less than any birth parent. What has his father given him besides a trickle of blood? Only suffering. Why can’t parents understand that children are not their possessions? From the moment they come into the world, they have their own minds and independent thoughts. If Anzi were to return to that dangerous home, I would never agree to it.” Banxia’s words were unyielding.

“But…” Mr. Chuan wanted to say something, but the headmaster interrupted.

“We have no intention of taking the child away. We’re only obliged to inform the other party that he’s been found.”

“Tell him plainly—if he wants his child, let him come himself. I’d like to see how a father who has failed in every duty can have the face to ask me for his son.” Banxia’s heart ached at the thought of little Anzi’s suffering.

“Don’t blame Banxia for being blunt—she truly cares for the child,” Gansui explained, soothing Banxia with a gentle pat. “My feelings are the same. Since Anzi has come to our home, he is family. I may not have great power, but when it comes to protecting my own, I will never hesitate.”

Banxia looked at Gansui with gratitude.

The headmaster and Mr. Chuan exchanged another glance—truly, they had not misjudged them; here were people of loyalty and feeling.

“Anzi, don’t you want a father?” someone asked.

“Does my father have other children?”

“Well… yes, he does, but…”

“My sister told me I am her only brother, and no one can change that. Since he’s not only my father, then I don’t want him either. Sister, let’s go cook. Anzi is hungry.”

“Alright.” Banxia and Anzi went to the kitchen.

The men remained in the hall.

“Gansui, I must tell you, Anzi’s father is not an ordinary man. Your career might depend on his whim.”

“If Anzi calls me brother-in-law, I will treat him as family, and for my family, I will protect them at any cost.”

“Very well. We understand.”

Evening fell.

Gansui watched Banxia come in. “Is he asleep?”

“He made me tell him a story, but he’s asleep now.”

“Is he no longer sad?”

“He seems better, but he’s a clever child—I worry he’ll bottle things up. We’ll have to keep an eye on him.” Banxia reached for the hairpin in her hair, and Gansui came over to remove it for her, taking up a wooden comb to gently smooth her hair. “And you? Are you still upset?”

“I was, a little. But not anymore.” Banxia turned and hugged Gansui, pressing her head against his waist. “Thank you, Gansui.” She had wanted to protect Anzi with all her solitary courage, but she well knew how difficult it was for Gansui to stand with her in an age when power meant everything.

Gansui stroked her head. “We are a family. Protecting you all is what I have always wanted to do.”

Elsewhere in the courtyard, the headmaster finished writing a letter. “Come, take a look.”

“I don’t want to… what a mess this all is…”

“Just look…” The headmaster insisted.

“This is…”

“We cannot disobey the emperor’s will, but at least let him know these two truly love the child.”

“Do you think there’s any hope for this matter?”

“The situation inside is unclear and fraught with danger. If it’s really for the child’s sake, I wouldn’t want him to return now, either.”

“Indeed. Since the emperor’s heart is unfathomable, we might as well take a chance. Whatever the outcome, we’ll bear it together. Have someone deliver the letter.”

The Imperial Palace, Hall of Purple Radiance.

“Your Majesty, it’s late. Will you retire?”

The Son of Heaven seemed not to hear, frowning over a memorial. “This mentions an epidemic—have the local authorities investigate immediately and report back. Disease is no small matter; it concerns the people’s lives. Make sure the truth is clear. If it’s real, have the Imperial Medical Bureau send someone, find a prescription, and control the spread.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” The chief eunuch quickly made note.

He read through several more memorials—trivial matters, by and large—until one letter praised the noble character of the Noble Consort and the intelligence of the Third Prince, claiming he had the makings of a crown prince.

“These people act as if they know my son better than I do…” Qi Nanxing flung the memorial to the floor.

“Every day, it’s ‘appoint the crown prince, appoint the crown prince.’ I’m not dead yet, and they’re already eager to serve a new monarch. A pack of useless gluttons, neglecting real work and meddling in my family affairs!”

“Your Majesty, please calm your anger.”

Everyone in the hall knelt, trembling for their lives.

It felt like an eternity before the young emperor spoke: “Rise. Have the Listening Wind Division investigate this person—leave no detail out. I want a report on my desk by morning.”

The crowd let out a small sigh of relief.

The emperor slumped in his chair, then rose. “I will go now.”

“Where does Your Majesty wish to go?”

“To the Phoenix Dance Hall.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. The emperor is going to the Phoenix Dance Hall.”

In Phoenix Dance Hall.

“Leave me. I’ll sleep here tonight.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Qi Nanxing walked slowly into the hall. The maids prepared his bedding and quietly withdrew.

He lay on the bed, holding a small portrait in his hand, gently tracing its features, his eyes full of tenderness and longing. “Yun’er, they say longing can break the boundary between life and death. If the yearning is deep enough, the departed will come in dreams. Let me see you, just once—scold me if you will. I miss you so much.”

The candlelight flickered; beneath its golden glow, the man’s shoulders on the bed trembled, and soft sobs could be heard. He was weeping.

“What, His Majesty has gone to Phoenix Dance Hall again? This is the fourth time this month. What spell does that wretched woman have? She’s dead and still haunts him. Doesn’t he understand she’s gone, never to return?”

Consort Yan smashed things furiously, cursing as she did so. The palace maids shrank in terror, not daring to intervene.

Soon, an old matron entered. “You lot have no sense—seeing the Lady throw things and not helping her? Drag them away, twenty strokes with the rod.” Several eunuchs entered, swiftly dragging away the frightened maids without a word of protest. The maids behind the matron kept their eyes lowered and expressions calm—clearly, they’d seen this all before.

“Clean this up,” the matron ordered. She personally supported Consort Yan to sit by the bed. “If you’re angry, let it out, my lady. Bottling it up will only make you suffer.”

“Nanny, he’s gone to Phoenix Dance Hall again. He would rather go to a dead woman’s chamber than see me.” Consort Yan burst into tears.

The old woman let her cry, then wiped her tears. “There, that’s better. You must understand, my lady—no matter what, that woman is dead. She can no longer compete with you for anything.”

“But His Majesty…”

“What His Majesty thinks doesn’t matter. In the end, it’s you who will be at his side. You are a daughter of the Wen family, the noblest woman in all the land, and your son will one day rule the world. As long as the Wen family stands, nothing His Majesty wishes for can change that.”

“But I love him. I truly love him.”

“Hearts are made of flesh. In time, His Majesty will see your devotion.”

“But, nanny, it’s been six years…”

“Six years is nothing. You’re still young, with plenty of time to show His Majesty who is truly right for him. For now, your greatest task is to ensure the Wen family never falls. As long as they endure, you will always be His Majesty’s only one—do you understand?”

“I understand.”